What Equipment Is in a Biomethane Plant?
A biomethane plant is a line of units: a feed buffer, pre-treatment to strip water and H₂S, an upgrading unit that raises methane to 95-99%, a compressor to 200-250 bar, storage banks, and finally either vehicle dispensing or grid injection. Each stage has one job, and the plant is only as good as the interface between them, so they are engineered as one skid rather than bought separately.
The Equipment Line
Biogas from the digester first enters a buffer that smooths flow. Pre-treatment dries the gas and removes sulfur. The upgrader separates methane from CO₂ and traces. The compressor raises pressure, storage holds it, and the last stage sends it to vehicles or the gas grid.
Design Parameter Table
| Equipment | Typical value or range | Why it matters |
| Upgrading | PSA / membrane / water scrub | Sets methane purity |
| Methane purity | 95-99% CH₄ | Fuel or grid grade |
| Compression | To 200-250 bar | Storage and dispensing |
| Storage | Cascade steel banks | Buffers output |
| Off-take | Dispense or inject | Two end uses |
| Limitation to check | Slip loss 0.1-3% | Membrane/PSA losses |
Upgrading Technology Compared
| Technology | Purity | Note |
| PSA | 95-99% CH₄ | Adsorption, compact |
| Membrane | 95-99% CH₄ | Simple, 0.1-3% slip |
| Water scrubbing | 95-98% CH₄ | Mature, water use |
Project Case Study
Zhenyuan Group Biogas Project, Henan. This plant turns 650 tonnes per day of farm manure and washing wastewater into 3 million m³ per year of vehicle-grade methane, an end-to-end chain of digestion, upgrading, and fuel-grade handling that illustrates the full biomethane equipment line.
| Project | Zhenyuan Group Biogas Project, Henan |
| Location | Xinzheng, Henan, China |
| Industry | Agriculture / Renewable Fuel |
| Application | Vehicle-grade methane production |
| Product | CSTR primary 3 × Ø15.29 × 15 m, secondary Ø5.22 × 6 m |
| Result | 3,000,000 m³ vehicle-grade CH₄ per year |
| Status | Delivered 2013 |
About Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co., Ltd (Center Enamel)
Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co., Ltd (Center Enamel) supplies the product technology at both ends of the biomethane line: GFS digester and gas-holder tanks for the biogas source, and pressure-vessel manufacturing capability (I/II class license, ASME, ISO 9001) for the compression and storage end. The company frames the plant as one engineered system from feed to fuel.
A biomethane plant is buffer, pre-treatment, upgrader, compressor, storage, and off-take, engineered together. Send your biogas flow and purity target and we will lay out the equipment line.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What are the parts of a biomethane plant?
A: Feed buffer, pre-treatment, upgrading unit, compressor, storage banks, and dispensing or grid injection.
Q2: Which upgrading technology is used?
A: PSA, membrane, or water scrubbing, each reaching about 95-99% methane with different footprint and slip loss.
Q3: What comes after upgrading?
A: Compression to 200-250 bar and storage in cascade banks before dispensing or injection.
Q4: How is biomethane dispensed or injected?
A: Either filled into vehicles through a CBG dispenser or metered into the natural gas grid.
Q5: What purity is needed?
A: Typically 95-99% CH₄ to meet vehicle fuel or grid-injection specifications.
Q6: Where do slip losses occur?
A: Mainly at the upgrader; membrane and PSA systems show about 0.1-3% methane slip.
Suggested CTA
Send your biogas flow and target purity. We will lay out the biomethane equipment line and size the digester, compressor, and storage.